Arvind Kejriwal
The Supreme Court has denied interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a corruption case related to the now-canceled Delhi liquor policy. The court has asked the CBI to respond to his bail request, with the next hearing set for August 23.
Representing Mr. Kejriwal, Senior Advocate Abhishek Singhvi argued before Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan that the situation was unusual. He noted that Arvind Kejriwal had been granted interim bail in a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case on May 10 and again by the Supreme Court in July. A lower court had also granted him bail in a CBI case. Singhvi referred to his detention as an “insurance arrest” and claimed it was legally unjustified and appeared malicious, considering the arrest occurred nearly two years after the case was filed.
Despite these arguments, the Supreme Court refused interim relief, stating, “We will not give interim bail.”
Earlier, on August 5, the Delhi High Court upheld Mr. Kejriwal’s arrest, finding no wrongful intent by the CBI, which showed how the AAP leader could potentially influence witnesses.
The Delhi Liquor Policy, launched in November 2021, was scrapped in September 2022 following corruption allegations. Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena ordered a CBI investigation. Both the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate have accused AAP leaders of engaging in irregularities and granting undue benefits to license holders under the policy.
Along with Mr. Kejriwal, senior AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh were also arrested in connection to the liquor policy case. They are currently out on bail. AAP has dismissed the corruption claims, accusing the BJP of political vendetta.
